Cruises - Classier or Trashier
Christopher Lucas 
Continuing our discussion.
| by Anonymous | reply 148 | February 1, 2024 5:18 AM |
I've been surprised at how calming it's been to check in on the port of Miami's live stream. You can watch the ships coming in early morning, and depart thorughout the afternoon/early evening. And when the Scarlet Lady is in port, you get a real sense of how massive it is.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 1 | April 15, 2022 12:25 PM |
We saw Scarlet Lady when we were in Nassau. The hammocks on the balcony cabins were a cool touch.
I'm really hoping for a Virgin Voyages cruise at some point in the next year or two. I finally finish my residency/fellowship in the late spring/early summer of 2023, and I'll likely have about a month before starting to work for real. Very seriously considering combining a backpacking excursion in Europe with a Med cruise. But I assume that would be on their next ship. Resilient Lady. I wonder if that name is a COVID reference.
It would be that or Celebrity Beyond.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | April 15, 2022 12:43 PM |
Any tried Cunard's Queen Mary? Is it really that much nicer than others? Are there a lot of gays?
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | April 15, 2022 1:52 PM |
Cunard is not a luxury experience by any measure. It's basically cruising wearing classic ocean liner drag.
And even they've loosened up recently. Dress code doesn't require jacket and tie anymore on the informal nights, and while the formal ones are still black tie, they don't require tuxes.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | April 18, 2022 2:01 PM |
I think if I had any desire to do a luxury cruise, knowing I'd be rubbing elbows with people who say things like this would stop me in my tracks: "Sevruga caviar was freely served as though it were a big deal. Once was enough for me. Quite a step down from osetra."
Sevruga caviar.
The nightmare.
The nerve.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | April 18, 2022 2:16 PM |
I'm doing a Virgin later this year.
No kids, no Walmart-loving fatties, no buffet, etc.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | April 18, 2022 2:27 PM |
But there is a tattoo parlor, so if you're like most of the DL vox populi, don't forget to pack your pearls, or you'll have nothing to clutch.
On the serious, I'm envious. Have a good time.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | April 18, 2022 3:21 PM |
Thanks to these threads and you bitches, I'm considering a taking cruise for my next vacation.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | April 18, 2022 3:27 PM |
Let us know if you need advice. We're all opinionated assholes, but we know stuff.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | April 18, 2022 3:34 PM |
I'm hemming and hawing about booking a Norwegian cruise to Alaska again in May.
I really enjoyed my last one and the price seems fairly reasonable ($2.2K for 9 day cruise).
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | April 18, 2022 3:48 PM |
Per person, or total?
If it's total, that's an awesome price.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | April 18, 2022 3:50 PM |
Ugh, the Single Supplement. The only thing worse than paying it is avoiding it by bringing along your bubbly hag Pepper and her four suitcases of leggings.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | April 18, 2022 4:37 PM |
That is total for a single person. It is an inside cabin, but ... last time I didn't really spend a lot of time on my balcony. I'm not sure it is really worth it.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | April 18, 2022 4:39 PM |
Honestly, they've been reducing single supplements to try and get some bodies in the cabins. Princess has, at least.
And more ships are starting to have cabins specifically for solo travelers, which is good.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | April 18, 2022 4:43 PM |
Do any cruise lines still have a black tie dress code?
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | April 18, 2022 4:59 PM |
What's the dick situation like on non-gray cruises? Is it hit or miss like anywhere else? I've looked into a few gay cruises and they don't look like they're for me, at least not for my first cruise. I'd like to think there's a chance of meeting up with someone while stuck at sea for a week (I'd be going alone). Someone in another thread said he got some dad dick on a Disney cruise. I don't want to be around a lot of kids, though.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | April 18, 2022 5:10 PM |
[quote]Do any cruise lines still have a black tie dress code?
Really just Cunard. On other lines, it's suggested, but not required. Seaborn requires it for their main restaurant, but nowhere else.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | April 18, 2022 5:29 PM |
[quote]What's the dick situation like on non-gray cruises? Is it hit or miss like anywhere else?
Any line with have a meet-up--I'm going to trigger people, but it's usually called an LGBTQ+ Meet Up--somewhere some if not all nights, if you're just looking to socialize.
If you want to have your dick sucked, you can pay for the exorbitant WIFI and get on Grindr. Worked for me last cruise. Or just go to the steam room and present hole.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | April 18, 2022 6:18 PM |
R18 Just don't try that on Holland America. Their geriatric clientele will have a fatal stroke at the sight of your gaping backdoor.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | April 18, 2022 6:33 PM |
Well I booked it. It was a window cabin, not inside.
I will try what I did last time and "bid" on a balcony and see if I get it. If not, no big deal.
$2.2K for 9 days. Includes their "free at sea" which has 4 meals at their specialty restaurants (which I thought were pretty good), mediocre, TIMED, internet, and drinks up to $15.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | April 18, 2022 11:28 PM |
[quote][R18] Just don't try that on Holland America. Their geriatric clientele will have a fatal stroke at the sight of your gaping backdoor.
Well, I'm a top. So I imagine that I won't have a lot of tight sphincters to choose from in December.
[quote]Well I booked it. It was a window cabin, not inside.
That's awesome. That's a great itinerary and less than my half of the my room on Atlantis.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | April 19, 2022 1:55 AM |
Trashier, at least in this case.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 22 | June 30, 2022 5:32 PM |
Has anyone ever been on a Gay cruise where guys were fucking in public? I've seen amateur porn videos, and it was really gross and really hot at the same time.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | June 30, 2022 5:42 PM |
45 days until our Norwegian Midnight Sun cruise on Princess. Hope the strikes in Britain don't complicate travel through Heathrow.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | July 1, 2022 2:18 AM |
My sister and her husband just went on a 5 day Carnival cruise. Their first. She said it was packed. 3K plus passengers with lots of kids. I’ve only gone on a Disney cruise with my partner’s family years ago and I got sick. I doubt I will go on another cruise.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | July 1, 2022 2:26 AM |
I've been on two cruises. Both were fine. We are not the party party type. My partner is the head of the History department at a small college, and we like to travel to interesting places. A cruise means we only unpack once instead of schlepping around on buses. But we favor smaller cruise ships. I don't want to be with thousands of people on a boat. Less than 1,000 is my rule. And we prefer casual dining, so a ship that has that option. I have to have at least a window so no inside cabins. Our second cruise, we had a small balcony. It was nice. We went to Greece. We were advised to never book a cabin on a lower or an upper deck. Lower is noisy, upper makes you feel the ship movements more than you'd like. So stay in the middle decks whenever possible. And don't go to the casino. The gambling on board a cruise ship is like throwing money away. The house always wins. As for all the land tours, some are very good and well oganized. In other instances, ask yourself if you really need a paid shore excusion to see a well known tourist attaction when you can easily go on your own independently. Just remember to get back to the ship on time.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | July 1, 2022 4:02 PM |
[quote]The gambling on board a cruise ship is like throwing money away. The house always wins.
And where is this not true? Actually, I've played little blackjack and come out ahead at least the past 3 times I've sailed. Not a lot ($500 maybe), but I'm conservative and quit while up.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | July 1, 2022 10:35 PM |
Norwegian always has some very well-hung crew members, R16, that are more than accommodating.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 28 | July 1, 2022 10:59 PM |
R28 How much do you pay them?
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | July 2, 2022 7:01 AM |
I had major surgery and will be having a second round at some point this fall, so I had to cancel my HAL Mexican Riviera cruise I had booked for the fall.
So we decided to book a Virgin Voyages Greek Isles cruise for next summer on what will be their newest ship, Resilient Lady.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | July 5, 2022 1:37 AM |
Cruises are for white trash - I don’t care what “line” you choose. Totally tacky.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | July 5, 2022 2:23 AM |
If you get the deluxe package, R29, they are included.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | July 5, 2022 7:10 PM |
I'm a married dad and got sucked on a cruise! Twice!! Steam room in the gym. I think.the guy was entertainment crew, so technically not a crew member.
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | July 5, 2022 8:53 PM |
R33, are you gay married or straight married?
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | July 5, 2022 8:59 PM |
R 33, bi married to a woman.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | July 5, 2022 11:31 PM |
R33/R35, so how'd you figure out they wanted to suck you? I've never had a steam room encounter but it's on my bucket list.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | July 6, 2022 1:12 AM |
I would rather sit on a rubber raft and pray for a current to take me to Corpus Christi than spend a second on one of those shit-polluting, infection-incubating, floating gluttony barges.
The cruise goers always look like people who deserve the fate in the opening scene of "Ghost Ship."
| by Anonymous | reply 37 | July 6, 2022 1:33 AM |
Anyone been on a Viking river cruise in Europe before? I am in my 30s I feel like that crowd is all 65+ or perfect Datalounge age range.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | July 6, 2022 2:04 AM |
What's an Atlantis cruise like? Any thoughts?
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | July 6, 2022 2:17 AM |
Royal Caribbean has finally started the first official reveals of Icon of the Seas.
I think maybe they should stop. 7600 passengers, and with the crew there are almost 10K people aboard at capacity.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 40 | October 20, 2022 10:59 PM |
And yet, I decided to book it, for the second ever sailing.
I may regret it, as they are clearly gearing the ship towards families, but I kind of want to try it anyway.
| by Anonymous | reply 42 | October 26, 2022 4:40 PM |
Another plot twist: the Global Dream, a gigantic ship that was under order for the now-defunct Dream Cruises, was purchased by Disney Cruise Line. When completed, it will be bigger than their current largest ship by a wide margin.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | November 17, 2022 1:06 PM |
I just got off princess. My God has mass market cruise line food gotten cheaper since covid! Flavorless!! Even the 4 pay steakhouse was like an upgraded Applebee's. On the plus side, It was a Love Boat reunion cruise. So for a pop culture geek like me, a week of traveling with Lauren Tewes and Bernie Kopell was amazing!
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | November 18, 2022 4:55 AM |
Well, now we can have nightmares about this. Viking Polaris was on a cruise to Antartica when it was hit by a rouge wave. A woman was killed.
I hope that in the water, she was a very skinny lady.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 45 | December 3, 2022 1:12 PM |
Any idea when the webcam will be working and back in service again?
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | December 3, 2022 1:46 PM |
[quote] it was hit by a rouge wave
I'll OH DEAR myself.
My grandmother is after that rouge wave to rub off its hussy makeup.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | December 3, 2022 3:16 PM |
No civilized person would ever consider being stuck on a floating petri dish with 6,000 diseased cultists.
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | December 3, 2022 3:24 PM |
R48 has clearly stated her boundaries.
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | December 3, 2022 5:53 PM |
So many gay couples have cruise vlogs on YouTube. Been watching Cruise Monkeys. The ginger one likes his booze, doesn’t he?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 50 | March 31, 2023 11:42 PM |
VOTN I have loved your cruise threads for decades now.
I saw some of a show called the World’s Most Expensive Cruise and each series has an episode where the head chef alights to visit the city fish market and buy something exorbitant like turbot.
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | April 11, 2023 10:29 AM |
if u can't afford air travels, y not
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | April 11, 2023 10:33 AM |
[quote]VOTN I have loved your cruise threads for decades now.
Well, I'm going on at least two next year. I booked the big circuit party Atlantis cruise on Oasis of the Seas (first time I've ever been on a ship twice) for January, and then a slightly less debauched Atlantis charter on Virgin Brilliant Lady for March.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | April 12, 2023 10:47 AM |
Where are they going?
The documentary I watched cruised Finland and the surrounds - in summer obviously. It looked much nicer that I would have expected.
If I had the money, and was working on a writing project, I imagine I such a cruise would be ideal in the prepandemic era. Certainly it’s more interesting than renting out a cabin or apartment.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | April 12, 2023 2:03 PM |
The first one is just hitting both of Royal Caribbean's private islands, plus the DR (Puerto Plata, specifically) and Nassau. I'm doing that pretty much just for the parties.
The more exotic one goes out of San Juan and hits Aruba and Curacao (which the one this year also did), plus Martinique and St Kitts.
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | April 12, 2023 5:09 PM |
The more expensive ones (Silversea, Seabourn) are not tacky but the people on board are very old. I’d probably pick Virgin.
| by Anonymous | reply 56 | April 12, 2023 5:24 PM |
Very stoked about my cruise this summer…
But is it just me or have cruise ships gotten uglier? Every single cruise line seems to stuff as many balconies into the superstructure. Makes ships look so top heavy.
| by Anonymous | reply 57 | April 12, 2023 7:08 PM |
R57 they are all floating apartments now. Back when balconies were a rarity, the profiles were much more ocean liner than apartment block. Aside from the Queen Mary, none are ocean liners anymore.
| by Anonymous | reply 58 | April 12, 2023 9:45 PM |
Cruise ship people are tacky, unadventurous, fat, lazy and probably drink too much as well. They want to sit in a floating low-budget hotel and eat and drink all day and stand in lines to do anything. They get off a cruise and think they’re world travelers.
| by Anonymous | reply 59 | April 12, 2023 11:29 PM |
R42, I may think it looks awful, but I hope you have a fabulous time and come back to tell us all about it! (I've never been on a cruise. I really like the idea of sitting on my room's balcony with a glass of wine, but I fear that the endless expanse of ocean would play bad tricks with my mind.)
| by Anonymous | reply 60 | April 12, 2023 11:56 PM |
R59, don’t generalize. I love cruises and I know that I’m nothing like the stereotype that you refer to.
| by Anonymous | reply 61 | April 13, 2023 3:13 AM |
Anyone done a Virgin one yet? I loathe children so it sounds interesting. Could also be douchey like Vegas.
| by Anonymous | reply 62 | April 14, 2023 3:07 PM |
Has anyone done a cruise from Scotland to Norway and Iceland? That would tick so many boxes for me.
| by Anonymous | reply 63 | December 28, 2023 12:20 AM |
Cruises are for trash across the entire economic spectrum, who still think that they'll become aristocrats if they visit 20 locations in two weeks, inhale food at the ship's various restaurants and get drunk in several discos aboard. R59 describes the sort of people who go on cruises very accurately.
River cruises are better because the vast majority of the programmed activities are cultural, people have to walk and there aren't any trashy amenities like water parks, all-you-can-eat buffets and nightclubs. Knowledge, refinement, politeness, exercise and more select environments are anathema to the atrociously vulgar animals who like to go on noisy, intrusive and wasteful "family holidays" on sea cruises.
| by Anonymous | reply 64 | December 28, 2023 12:30 AM |
I am cruise neutral. But I do live for the day that one of those behemoths turns turtle and glub, glub, glubs to the ocean floor. Can't imagine how it could happen, but it would be must watch tv.
| by Anonymous | reply 65 | December 28, 2023 1:25 AM |
I agree with R59 and worse are the people that go on cruises every year and have to talk about their experiences and opinions. Beyond tacky and definitely for low-class, lazy, white trash hillbillies. Just because you can afford a low-budget cruise doesn’t mean you are sophisticated, just the opposite.
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | December 28, 2023 1:43 AM |
Lighten up Francis (R64).
| by Anonymous | reply 67 | December 28, 2023 1:45 AM |
For my dad, who always kept pleasure at a far distance, cruises were his way to feel adventure vicariously. Last year, he talked about how he wanted to go on one last cruise, but his doctor thought it was risky. In February, he passed away with crystallized lungs and failing kidneys.
People should be able to find joy however they can, as long as it is not hurting others. As tacky as cruises seem to me, I wish he’d been able to go on one more with my mom.
| by Anonymous | reply 68 | December 28, 2023 1:57 AM |
Aw, sorry R68.
My "hillbilly" parents would never have been able to claim they visited another country (other than Canada before you needed a passport) if not for cruises. I helped them apply for passports when they were in their 70s then put them on a cruise to the Caribbean. They got to spend a day each in the Bahamas, St. Kitts, BVI, St. Martin, and Jamaica. It was the highlight of their 70s and they still reminisce about it with happy memories. They would never have been able to figure out how to make transportation, lodging, and sightseeing plans if not as part of a cruise,
| by Anonymous | reply 70 | December 28, 2023 2:04 AM |
Hell, I am not going to defend myself as not trashy or seedy or whatever--trashy is as trashy does--but I'm leaving on the big Atlantis circuit party cruise in just about three weeks. And yeah, on the one last year, I had a lot of sex. But here's the thing: I've never felt so free in my entire life.
| by Anonymous | reply 71 | December 28, 2023 3:14 AM |
I love all your cruise ship stories VOTN. Please tell us how your Atlantis trip is.
| by Anonymous | reply 72 | December 28, 2023 7:55 AM |
R71 how many men did you have relations with and did you get involved in any orgies?
| by Anonymous | reply 73 | December 28, 2023 9:41 AM |
I think I recall from another thread that VOTN is a top, has a fairly good rack for his age, and maybe even bald(?).
| by Anonymous | reply 74 | December 28, 2023 7:51 PM |
If you're thinking of Panama Canal cruise, Panama has a collection of the ugliest guys I've run across as a nationality.
| by Anonymous | reply 75 | December 28, 2023 8:10 PM |
VOTN probably well preserved for his age. What anti-aging secrets can you share with us?
| by Anonymous | reply 76 | December 28, 2023 8:33 PM |
[quote][R71] how many men did you have relations with and did you get involved in any orgies?
I think between various forms of penetration, it was about 20 over the course of eight days. And yes.
[quote]I think I recall from another thread that VOTN is a top, has a fairly good rack for his age, and maybe even bald(?).
Picture Mr. Clean with a goatee, that's about the ballpark. Pre-weight-loss, I got Phillip Seymour Hoffman a lot. Getting in shape and shaving my hair to the scalp did me a lot of favors.
| by Anonymous | reply 77 | December 29, 2023 2:27 AM |
R77 please, how did you lose the weight? Diet? Free weights? Exercise? The Potion?
| by Anonymous | reply 79 | December 29, 2023 8:21 AM |
Has anyone done a TCM cruise? I think they are on ann older Disney ship.
| by Anonymous | reply 80 | December 29, 2023 5:34 PM |
[quote][R77] please, how did you lose the weight? Diet? Free weights? Exercise? The Potion?
The bulk of the weight loss was keto/paleo. In the throws of COVID, I spent a lot of money on an expensive home gym setup to keep active, and the thing was a godsend in terms of keeping me motivated. The only times I've ever really fallen away from. using it were the periods after I got really sick. I was about 320 lbs at my heaviest, and I'm about half that now. If I really start feeling my onions, I'll post a pic.
[quote]Has anyone done a TCM cruise? I think they are on ann older Disney ship.
TCM's next one is on Disney Magic, which is DCL's oldest ship, and one of the oldest ships sailing right now. It's also HUGELY expensive. The per-person price on the 2024 sailing is about what I'm paying for two people on each of the Atlantis cruises I have booked for next year. And it's short, I think only 5 nights.
| by Anonymous | reply 81 | December 29, 2023 9:44 PM |
Thanks R81 I bet it felt great not only becoming a lot healthier but also re-emerging as a sex bomb who's pinga sees more action than a nymphomaniac on day release.
| by Anonymous | reply 82 | December 30, 2023 12:08 AM |
I want a submarine so I can torpedo all and any cruise liner.
| by Anonymous | reply 83 | December 30, 2023 12:12 AM |
Agree R83 - plus they are environmental hazards, any port city has major problems with cruise ships.
| by Anonymous | reply 84 | December 30, 2023 12:23 AM |
Amsterdam is in the process of banning them from porting in The Port of Amsterdam
| by Anonymous | reply 85 | December 30, 2023 12:28 AM |
Cruise ships are the devil's vessel. Nothing but a petri dish of humanity and absolutely terrible for the environment.
| by Anonymous | reply 86 | December 30, 2023 12:28 AM |
There are dozens of smaller 'boutique' lines in existence that most Americans have never even heard of, and certainly from what I've read, just about no DL posters.
I know of one where the line warns the travel agents that if they book the 'wrong' kind of people, the agent will never be allowed to book with them again.
These lines differ considerably between experiences, and have anything between 6 passengers to maybe a few hundred passengers at most. Some usually carry more crew than passengers.
| by Anonymous | reply 87 | December 30, 2023 12:41 AM |
Are loud neighbors on balconies a big problem (or any)? Do they peek around at you?
How does one cope with vistas of nothing but deep, dark water?
| by Anonymous | reply 90 | January 24, 2024 8:28 AM |
R 68 more hugs for you R 70 my eyes welled up with tears thinking of you lovingly making arrangements so your parents could go on a cruise . I imagine not only were they so thrilled by the actual cruise, but so touched by your extreme love and thoughtfulness . I’m having a hard time at just turning 70. The very thought that my children could and would do something that even slightly resembles what you did for your parents is mind boggling .
| by Anonymous | reply 91 | January 24, 2024 9:04 AM |
I have been on Windstar, Viking River, and Ponant (Tauck). No desire to go on those huge mainstream Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival, etc. ships.
Windstar had a no-jeans at dinner rule, that was scaled back to no "distressed" jeans, no shorts either which was occasionally ignored. Their shore excursion prices are quite high, but the crew are terrific. Their one week around Iceland was definitely the way to see more than just the capital region.
Viking down the Danube was much better than the Rhine trip, part of which had to do with the latter's activities director/hostess. The food was fine, always one included no-fee city excursion per stop.
Tauck does excellent tours for what you pay ($$$$), but I would never sail on a Ponant ship again, the food was awful, and there were issues with staff as well; I'm a Francophile who speaks French, so it's not that.
| by Anonymous | reply 92 | January 24, 2024 1:07 PM |
[quote]Who's on Atlantis?
Me. We got into San Juan this morning.
| by Anonymous | reply 93 | January 24, 2024 4:21 PM |
We are on a 10 night Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Beyond right now. This our 8th cruise. We stay in a suite and have access to The Retreat, which is a separate pool, separate cocktail lounge, separate dining room. It’s expensive, but everything is included in the price, so there are no surprises. We used to stay in a regular room, which mean we had to buy the drink package, and there were other charges. It turned out that it was almost the same price as staying in a small suite. So that’s what we do now.
There is a surprising number of gay men on this cruise.
| by Anonymous | reply 94 | January 24, 2024 4:37 PM |
VOTN, you pulling a lot of dick on this cruise?
| by Anonymous | reply 95 | January 25, 2024 12:39 AM |
[quote]So many gay couples have cruise vlogs on YouTube.
What do you think of Cruise With Ben and David?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 96 | January 25, 2024 6:21 AM |
This might be the best thing happening on the ship
[quote]Reports from the front lines of the Atlantis cruise: the Pups have taken over the theatre where Cats is being performed and are heckling the cast
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 97 | January 25, 2024 9:40 AM |
Ben and David are honest, if they have an issue with a cruise, they say so. I admire them for their hard work and dedication.
| by Anonymous | reply 98 | January 25, 2024 12:49 PM |
[quote]VOTN, you pulling a lot of dick on this cruise?
I’m a top, but it’s been more quality over quantity this time. I met a really sweet flight attendant from California the first day, and we’ve been spending time together.
I also ended up meeting up with a couple from San Francisco late late late one night, ended up back in their suite. No orgy, but we just kind of cuddled and made out. It was surprisingly wholesome.
The weather played hell with some of the party planning. Things had to get moved in terms of location or time because it was too damned windy for them to rig the lighting in the main party space. It seemed to finally come together last night. Paul van Dyk was our EDM DJ, and I thought his set was great although others disagreed. We were finally able to be in regular party space after, and I went for a bit, but the FA and I ended up back in my room.
There have a few sobering (no pun intended) moments. The first night, I ended up having to doctor to a kid who had gone a little too overboard with GHB. He wasn’t too bad, but he was out of it and tiny and I didn’t want anyone to take advantage of him. I made him text me the next morning to let me know he was okay, which he did. At one of the parties the night after, the music cut out suddenly and we heard ALPHA ALPHA ALPHA which is a medical emergency (usually an OD). Then the music came back up and everyone started dancing like nothing had happened. We had two more last night in rapid succession. There is some fentanyl-laced shit going around, and it’s scary.
Tonight is the Classics party, which is probably my favorite. It’s 80s and 90s music, and for the Gen Xers, it’s like going out when we were in college. And then the next night is the White Party, which goes until the sun comes up.
| by Anonymous | reply 99 | January 25, 2024 2:24 PM |
Fabulous reporting VOTN, thank you.
| by Anonymous | reply 100 | January 25, 2024 8:31 PM |
OTOH, I also got to see Alan Cumming singing “But Alive” in an only slightly less gay way than Miss Lauren Bacall, R101.
I’ll have a full report tomorrow.
| by Anonymous | reply 102 | January 28, 2024 12:46 AM |
I'm on the edge of my seat! Thank you VOTN
| by Anonymous | reply 103 | January 28, 2024 12:53 AM |
What is the most expensive cruise line?
| by Anonymous | reply 105 | January 29, 2024 8:09 AM |
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
A 20 deck monstrosity
| by Anonymous | reply 106 | January 29, 2024 8:28 AM |
R105, there are quite a few boutique lines that are pretty pricey.
| by Anonymous | reply 107 | January 29, 2024 8:44 AM |
OD’ing on a cruise ship? That sums up gay cruises.
| by Anonymous | reply 108 | January 29, 2024 10:17 AM |
And on straight cruises, people get drunk and fall overboard. Or they get into fistfights.
| by Anonymous | reply 109 | January 29, 2024 5:16 PM |
Don't forget dropping babies out if windows. Where's your full report, VOTN?
| by Anonymous | reply 110 | January 29, 2024 6:14 PM |
Honestly, its a shame Icon of the Seas didn't sink to the bottom of the ocean during sea trials.
| by Anonymous | reply 111 | January 29, 2024 6:51 PM |
[quote]Where's your full report, VOTN?
I got knocked flat on my ass by the flu. It went through people like wildfire.
| by Anonymous | reply 112 | January 29, 2024 6:52 PM |
We’ve sailed Crystal (the prior iteration) and Regent several times.
We took a Scandinavian cruise on the Crystal Serenity, with Mary Tyler Moore’s in-laws as our next door neighbors. They were lovely, although she was going blind—macular degeneration. The cruise was a gift from Mary so they could visit someplace new with fewer issues…Mary had been the godmother of the Harmony—Crystal’s first ship. It was a great time.
| by Anonymous | reply 113 | January 29, 2024 7:10 PM |
And just like that, in R112 VotN confirms every negative stereotype about cruising.
| by Anonymous | reply 114 | January 29, 2024 11:12 PM |
Newest cruise ship:
"Petrie Dish of the Seas."
| by Anonymous | reply 115 | January 29, 2024 11:27 PM |
Will there be a class action suit VOTN?
| by Anonymous | reply 116 | January 30, 2024 4:18 AM |
R113 where did the Scandinavian cruise depart from and go to? I am interested in those.
| by Anonymous | reply 117 | January 30, 2024 4:29 AM |
I'm getting the impression that cruises for Americans are like floating Branson, Missouries.
| by Anonymous | reply 118 | January 30, 2024 6:06 AM |
Any suggestions for an informal cruise line for two Eldergays to see Alaska for 5-7 days, departing from Seattle or Vancouver or even Anchorage? Don't want high-end, but don't want to be around families. The only reason I'd do another cruise is to see places that can only be reached by boat.
About 20 years ago I did an RSVP cruise on the Diamond Princess to Mexico. It was a fun, decadent party and got to check that box, but not something I'd be interested in doing again at this age. Just want to see some Fjords and Bears -- the kind by the side of the river that grab jumping salmon for snacks.
| by Anonymous | reply 119 | January 30, 2024 7:23 AM |
Anyone care to add more about Viking River cruises - tips? Danube is the one that's appealing to me.
| by Anonymous | reply 120 | January 30, 2024 8:17 AM |
R119, Princess or Holland America.
| by Anonymous | reply 121 | January 30, 2024 10:14 AM |
[quote][R119], Princess or Holland America.
I'd replace Princess with Celebrity, but essentially, yes.
Vacaya, the other gay charter company--which isn't as circuit-y as Atlantis is--has an Alaska charter for summer 2025 on HAL Westerdam, which is a pretty small ship by contemporary standards.
I feel like myself again. No regrets, but jeez, I never expected to get that sick. Thank God I'm working from home most of the week.
| by Anonymous | reply 122 | January 30, 2024 1:54 PM |
We've been on Celebrity, Cunard, Holland-America, Crystal, P&O, and as a kid, on the United States Lines, the Grace Line and the French Line, all now out of the passenger business. We went on Norwegian once - never again. Have never been on Carnival and don't expect we ever will.
Of all of them Celebrity has been our favorite. We've had everything from the cheapest inside cabins to the three room suites at the stern and we've never had a bad time.
| by Anonymous | reply 123 | January 30, 2024 3:11 PM |
Here’s my input on a Viking River cruise, R120.
My partner and I joined a dear friend for a big bday. She wanted to do the Rhine River cruise. I was surprised how much fun I had. We didn’t do anything crazy, but every port/day was enjoyable and we closed down the bar each night (helps that the bar shuts down at midnight).
Some of y he staff were really great, others were stuffy but at least professional. There were 198 guests on board, I counted 3 black people, 4 gays, 2 dykes and an Asian mail-order bride. The biggest distraction/curveball was the group of 96 “Wings and Waves” cruisers from all types of Flyoverstan. Some of the women wouldn’t talk to me, much less make eye contact if we were in the hallway alone together. Others were a bit fun, but mostly all were conservative and definitely in love with themselves.
I’d recommend it to anyone just with the caveat that the ship’s group dynamics could turn on a large group of assholes.
| by Anonymous | reply 124 | January 30, 2024 5:55 PM |
I promise I'm not shilling for Vacaya, but they also have an Netherlands/Belgium river cruise that's happening around Amsterdam Pride this summer. It's on one of the ships that was bought of out Crystal Cruises bankruptcy.
| by Anonymous | reply 125 | January 30, 2024 6:36 PM |
The premise of cruises, regardless of supposed "brand" differences, is all you can-eat-do-see prix fixe. In short, it's for budget-conscious and adventure-adverse. That's why Middle America (and Middle Everyone else) loves them.
I remember my first boss talking about cruises. She was the most open minded, liberal, warm-hearted soul there was (probably why she hired me straight out of college and took two years to fire me lol): "I don't want to be on one of those things with a bunch of secretaries from Monterey Park" (anyone who has spent time in LA knows what this means). That quote resonates with me to this day.
The only group of people I give a pass on for cruises are senior citizens. I will probably cruise after 65 to get my travel bug fix.
| by Anonymous | reply 126 | January 30, 2024 6:55 PM |
R126 I hate this view of cruises. Would that woman say the same of those people ended up at a Marriott resort somewhere? I was just on a cruise. At no point is anyone forced to interact with other passengers. It’s just like a resort where you mind your business or become a social butterfly, the choice is yours.
Yes, it was the most affordable way to be on a beach in January without breaking the bank on food and lodging. But it’s also a unique way to travel. Nothing beats the peace and calm of a cruise late at night or early in the morning. Walking the deck while that breeze hits. Just enjoying life while taking in some air.
Then exploring the ship to see the design features or hidden/under used hangouts. Wondering about the life of crew members when you see them off duty maybe having a quiet chat and smoke somewhere.
I even like the formal dinner where you meet different characters. Even the most insufferable ones can lead to hilarious post-dinner talks with your friend or fellow traveler.
Cruising feels like old world travel in many aspects. But if you want to be left alone, you can easily be left alone, just like at a resort.
| by Anonymous | reply 127 | January 30, 2024 7:16 PM |
R127 Sadly, I think it is the majority view/experience of cruises.
No, she probably wouldn't say that about a Marriott because she wouldn't be stuck at sea with the follow guests with no way out. Plus Marriott, doesn't mimic the Las Vegas-esque all-you-can 24-7 elements of a cruise. Oddly enough, Marriotts in 2024 are a key offender of the price-gouging/service-cutting phenomenon corporations undertook to make up for Covid losses. $200-$500/night for the same cookie cutter room you could find in Fort Lauderdale, Milkwaukee, or Tucson.
You may be the exception, but most people on cruises don't go for the night walks or enjoy the forced socialization with assigned dinner arrangements and prom-esque "dress code" costumery. Further, most everyone who has cruised looks down on the crew, who are usually underpaid indentured servants from poor countries.
| by Anonymous | reply 128 | January 30, 2024 8:15 PM |
[Quote]Further, most everyone who has cruised looks down on the crew, who are usually underpaid indentured servants from poor countries.
What nonsense! Not My experience at all.
| by Anonymous | reply 129 | January 30, 2024 9:03 PM |
[quote]Further, most everyone who has cruised looks down on the crew, who are usually underpaid indentured servants from poor countries.
I don't know what kind of assholes you're friends with, but that's literally the opposite of anyone I've ever cruised with.
One of the reasons the crews like working the gay charters so much is that we're nicer, we have no kids running around, and we tip better.
| by Anonymous | reply 130 | January 30, 2024 9:08 PM |
R128 I appreciate your follow up on this.
I know many don’t do the night walks which is a major plus! I like seeing the late night crew heading to the bar. Or catching the walk of shame at 6am while watching a sunrise.
it’s no different than an all-inclusive resort and when done right, has something for everyone.
Most people at resorts really don’t leave the property all that much. Maybe one or two trips, which if you think about it, is exactly like the port days on a ship. Folks can also spring for VIP status on ships with private bars, pools, jacuzzis and sometimes restaurants offering a more first class and calm experience. The paid restaurants are also another way to find peace, though I personally refuse to level up my dining on a ship with food already included. You can also get a private table in the main dining room, eating with just your party for breakfast and dinner.
I’m not trying to sell anyone on cruises, because everything isn’t for everyone’s but I am pointing out that it’s more like an all exclusive resort then people many critics care to admit.
| by Anonymous | reply 131 | January 30, 2024 9:39 PM |
R130 One of the reasons the crews like working the gay charters so much is that we're nicer, we have no kids running around, and we tip better.
That's what my cruise hound friend says. He's a self-professed cheapskate yet prides himself on his generous tips on cruises. Mainly because he says the other cruisers are cheapskates who don't tip at all. He tips 15% at restaurants and $1 per drink, even cocktails. I've known him since 2004 and that hasn't changed in the two decades since. I can't imagine what his tipping on cruises is like, but his example confirms my bias that cruisers are largely budget, all-you-can-searching cheapskates.
| by Anonymous | reply 132 | January 30, 2024 9:47 PM |
^^^^^^
I thought it was all the gloryhole action the workers score?
Even the female locker room attendants seemed to enjoy all the tomfoolery going on the one Atlantis cruise I was on.
| by Anonymous | reply 133 | January 30, 2024 11:12 PM |
R132 a buck a drink as tip is pretty much cheapskate by definition. Seriously, that’s a bare minimum at any time.
| by Anonymous | reply 134 | January 30, 2024 11:18 PM |
Added: and a 15% tip on a meal is fairly embarrassing on its own…
| by Anonymous | reply 135 | January 30, 2024 11:20 PM |
Am looking at a one week Alaska cruise on Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver. Balcony room is about $1,700pp plus taxes, etc.. But what does that include? Meals? Alcohol drinks? Can someone please translate? It says:
2X to Spend on Board - up to $2,000 - Ends tomorrow! CALL: up to a $75 FREE Dining Credit! - Ends tomorrow! Exclusive: Up to $200 to Spend on Board - Ends tomorrow! No Interest or Approval: Book with No Cruise Payment Due Today - 4 days left! Bonus: Gratuities Included & Exclusive Savings All-Included: Free Drinks & Wi-Fi
What is this "2X to spend on board up to $2,000"? Also, "Free drinks and WiFi..." does that mean booze is included? Have only been on one cruise. We smuggled Vodka in water bottles, yet still ended up with an outrageous bar tab, lol! All meals and snacks were included except for one formal dinner.
| by Anonymous | reply 136 | January 31, 2024 1:46 AM |
ENCHANTED PRINCESS in June. Unless my friend the travel agent can get a good deal on a Canadian Maritime cruise in May.
I can’t get over how world class ugly the ICON OF THE SEAS is. Top heavy and ungainly. Hardly any sea views either.
| by Anonymous | reply 137 | January 31, 2024 1:51 AM |
Book through a travel agent, R136. Try Cruise Compete to find one. They can answer your questions, and often find you better deals, if not on the room rate, then on shipboard credit and drink packages, etc.
| by Anonymous | reply 138 | January 31, 2024 1:52 AM |
Usually with Celebrities inclusions, you're getting their lower-tier WiFi (enough to do social media, email, and message, but not stream) and most likely their middle-tier alcohol package. If I remember right, that includes most mid-shelf hard liquor, and then beers up to $12 and wines like $15/glass and under.
They also will give you credit in your onboard account to use towards a shore excursion, a spa treatment, or something from one of the shops. So whatever the normal amount is (I want to say $50 for a 7-night in a balcony), you'd get twice that.
| by Anonymous | reply 139 | January 31, 2024 1:52 AM |
Thanks, r139. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, we would get up to $2,000 worth of medium-level drinks and slow WiFi, and all regular meals are included in the price per person for the room fare? In other words, this is basically an all-inclusive cruise? If so, that comes out to be $500/night including meals and booze for the both of us for a room with a balcony. That seems doable.
| by Anonymous | reply 140 | January 31, 2024 3:10 AM |
Dear god cruising sounds utterly awful
| by Anonymous | reply 141 | January 31, 2024 3:14 AM |
[quote] In other words, this is basically an all-inclusive cruise?
More or less. The only thing that I didn't see mentioned were tips.
| by Anonymous | reply 142 | January 31, 2024 3:15 AM |
R141 What are you talking about?
2X to Spend on Board - up to $2,000 - Ends tomorrow! CALL: up to a $75 FREE Dining Credit! - Ends tomorrow! Exclusive: Up to $200 to Spend on Board - Ends tomorrow! No Interest or Approval: Book with No Cruise Payment Due Today - 4 days left! Bonus: Gratuities Included & Exclusive Savings All-Included: Free Drinks & Wi-Fi
Everyone at the country club is abuzz with the gratuities being included, along with drinks and wi-fi.
| by Anonymous | reply 143 | January 31, 2024 4:53 AM |
^BUT the deals end TOMORROW!!!!
CALLL TODAY!!!!!!
| by Anonymous | reply 144 | January 31, 2024 4:57 AM |
What might appeal to me were I to cruise would be the once-unpack convenience of not needing to find daily food or shelter.
But what decidedly does not appeal to me are the restrictions on time and distance upon any disembarking. I've only ever been to Europe and the UK (and Canadian Maritimes), but traveling by car allowed me freedom, spontaneity, and sight-seeing that a cruise cannot.
| by Anonymous | reply 145 | January 31, 2024 8:30 AM |
R145, why not do both? That's what I do. I take cruises with my family (it solves a lot of logistical problems traveling with older parents and younger relatives) but I often extend the vacation by renting a car and setting off on my own. Or I take other vacations. I don't get why everyone sees it has to be one or the other. Take advantage of the strengths of either style of travel.
| by Anonymous | reply 146 | January 31, 2024 10:43 AM |
Good points, r146! I do like the idea of relaxing on a stateroom balcony.
| by Anonymous | reply 147 | January 31, 2024 7:02 PM |
Thanks for the heads up 124, I appreciate your insights. My saving grace is that I am easily amused & would be traveling with 3 others who are as well. The ratio of gays to the rest of the travelers in your post is disheartening though it won't be a deal-breaker.
Coincidentally today an elderly friend told me she first cruised with Viking when the number of passengers aboard was 25. She's 92 but says she's 89.
I wish I was more well-traveled.
| by Anonymous | reply 148 | February 1, 2024 5:18 AM |
